Prime Reaper (8 page)

“I think anything that strengthens us also strengthens the hellion,” Phelan said. “I could hear mine actually trilling as though it was enjoying the swim along with me.”

Jaborn frowned. “Why tell us to keep away from water then?” he demanded.

“Because that’s one more way to control you, Lord Kasid,” Lord Kheelan replied.

“Going in by sea makes sense so that’s how it will be accomplished.”

“What about the ghorets?” Cynyr asked.

Lord Naois cleared his throat. “We will send the drone out tomorrow night. If it is true the Ceannus brought eggs and have dispersed them in the desert around their encampment, the vile things should be hatching soon. As Lady Aingeal pointed out, we can look for what is called a heat signature—the amount of living energy something 40

Prime Reaper

puts out. We know what to look for and as soon as we see it, the drone will begin firing laser blasts until there are no ghorets left crawling.”

“But won’t the Ceannus—” Cynyr began.

“Stealth laser blasts are not visible to the eye,” Lord Kheelan interrupted,

“otherwise the Ceannus would know our men are out there. We will provide special field glasses designed so the Reapers will know when the attack is under way. The drones will be cloaked and they will make no sound so their presence won’t be detected by Ceannus sentries. Only the Reapers will know the drone is there.”

“It may take several passes of the drone for not all hatchlings will pop the shell at the same time,” Lord Dunham reminded them. “Hopefully, there will be no humans nearby for the beasties to strike. We have put a perimeter to the west of Towertown, telling the residents the lands have been quarantined due to an outbreak of plague in Calizonia.”

“That should keep the curious from venturing out that way although from all we’ve learned, there have never been many who have settled in that territory for fear of new earthquakes and tidal waves,” Lord Naois told them.

“All right, we’ve discussed how you will get there and how we intend to destroy the threat of the ghorets,” Lord Dunham said. “Let’s discuss what you’ll do when you arrive in the Ceannus camp.” He folded the map over the top and put his pointer on the X-shaped craft. “This we need to take out immediately for two reasons. One, the control of the cybots will be handled from the ship. Shutting the ‘bots down is the most important thing you should do first. They will be the encampment’s first line of defense and they will have weapons. Those weapons will be hooked into the ship’s main generator. Blow the generator and the ‘bots will be useless.”

“And the second reason?” Iden asked.

“We can’t allow the Ceannus to leave. Taking out the ship will prevent that from happening,” Lord Naois answered. “We want these bastards crushed, destroyed and unable to regroup anytime soon. If we can keep them from coming back to Terra, all the better.”

“Taking out the main building will be next,” Lord Dunham said. “The Ceannus are living there and the Net is controlled from there. We—”

“The children are in there too,” Cynyr reminded him.

“Aye, and while you are killing the Ceannus and the
balgairs
, I will take My
guirt
to safety!”

Jerking around in their seats, those gathered watched the Triune Goddess appear at the back of the room, Her aureate wings folding in behind Her as She strode forward. Her red hair was flowing free like a living cape around Her slender white shoulders and every man there felt a tightening in his groin as She passed.

“I want no
balgair
left alive come the dawn, Reapers,” She stated. “Do not let worry over the
guirt
concern you. I will let nothing harm My offspring. Keep your minds only on destroying the monsters who dared steal them from Me!”

41

Charlotte Boyett-Compo

“They are our children too,” Arawn said.

Morrigunia swung Her gaze toward him and he felt a debilitating heat wash over him. He staggered under the weight of the goddess’s anger.

“They are Mine and Mine alone, Gehdrin!” She bellowed. “I bore them in
My
womb! You only provided the fertilizer!”

“But You can’t go in and retrieve them without our help,
Mo Regina
,” Lord Kheelan said. “You need us to shut down the Net so You can fly the children to safety.”

Her emerald eyes glowing with unholy light, the Triune goddess flew at Lord Kheelan and wrapped Her hand around his neck, lifting him as though he weighed no more than a feather. “Curb your tongue when you speak to Me!” She hissed at him then tossed him away as carelessly as if he’d been nothing more than a used tissue. Her height increased until She was as tall as the ceiling and then She bent over Lord Kheelan, Her nose to his. “I made you, boy, and I can end your life just as easily!”

Lord Kheelan reached up a shaky hand to wipe at the thin stream of blood that was oozing out of his left nostril. “Aye,
Mo Regina
,” he said. Shrinking back to human size, the goddess turned to face Her Reapers. “Enough talk. You are not stupid men. You know what you need to do. Go and sleep now. Come the first light, be ready to leave this place and do your duty to Me!”

Scrambling like ants, the Reapers and their womenfolk hurried out of the room. Not a one of them was willing to risk the goddess’s ire. Even the Shadowlords hastened to do Her biding. Only Lord Kheelan remained behind and only because he was struggling to get up.

Rounding on the High Lord, Morrigunia reached for him and with Her hand wrapped around his waist, lifted him and sat him down in one of the chairs so hard his teeth clicked together. Once more She bent over him.

“Take care you do not insult Me ever again, Ben-Alkazar,” She warned him.

“I will not,
Mo Regina
,” he swore.

Her gaze was hot, the emerald eyes glowing a sickening green that made the Shadowlord’s headache intensify with agony. She glared at him for a moment then stepped back. “While he is gone, train Cynyr’s wench to be of usefulness to Me,” She ordered, and then with a brilliant flash of orange light was gone. Lord Kheelan was swallowing rapidly to keep the bile from rushing up his throat. He was in so much pain he could barely push himself out of the chair but he managed to gain his feet, swaying like a reed in a storm. “How? She’s with child,” he whispered.

“Train her how? For what?”

The word came like a rushing wind through the room— “
Healer
!”

42

Prime Reaper

Chapter Five

Danielle went to her husband and slid her arms around his waist, laid her cheek against his bare back as he gazed out the window at the still, dark night. “You are worried,
mo shearc
.”

“I had hoped to have more time with you,” he said sighing, wrapping his hand around hers. “I certainly never thought I’d be going out again this quickly.”

“You have a job to do.”

Arawn rubbed her hand. “Aye, but sometimes it gets in the way.”

“It never has before,” she said softly.

“I never had you before,” he replied, and brought her hand up to kiss the palm before placing it over his heart. “
Fán liom go deo
.”

Danielle came around him so that she was nestled in his strong arms. “I
plan
on staying with you forever,
mo shearc
,” she vowed.

“
Tá mé caillte gan tú
,” he said, telling her he would be lost without her. They stood that way for quite some time, with her listening to the steady beat of his heart and he with troubled eyes on the scarred land that stretched out beyond the long row of windows.

“Are you worried about the children?” she asked.

“Aye.” He lifted a hand to rub at his forehead. “I can’t begin to imagine what it will be like seeing Reaper children.”

Danielle had tucked her lower lip between her teeth as she smoothed her hand over his chest. “We haven’t discussed our children,
mo shearc
. What are your feelings about them?”

Arawn rubbed harder at his forehead. “I’ve never given them any thought, wench,”

he answered. “I had never thought they would be a part of my life.” He lowered his hand to stroke her back. “Even when I learned about the sperm Morrigunia had taken from us and figured there might be sons somewhere, I refused to dwell on it.”

She looked up at him. “Why not?”

Her husband shrugged. “Because I knew there was nothing I could do,” he replied.

“What of now?” she asked softly.

Arawn swallowed, feeling his heartbeat accelerate. “Do you want sons, Danni?” he countered.

“I’d like one of each,” she said, but when he shook his head, she looked up at him, her eyebrows drawn together with hurt. “Just one then?”

43

Charlotte Boyett-Compo

“Nay, sweeting,” he said. “That’s not—” He took a deep breath and explained to her the hellion inside him would not allow her to conceive anything but sons. “My Queen, my hellion, won’t allow it. She’s a jealous parasite and won’t allow female offspring to form in your womb.”

Danielle flinched and stepped back from him. “Your parasite will be in my womb?”

she asked with a gasp.

“Wench,” he said, reaching for her but she took another step back, horror turning her beautiful face pale. “I don’t know the particulars of it. I only know what I’ve been told and that might not even be true. If a Reaper
can
swim, perhaps there are other things we’ve always been told that aren’t accurate.”

“What of the parasite though?” she asked. Her eyes widened. “Arawn, please tell me that thing hasn’t gotten inside me!”

He went to her and pulled her into his arms though she was stiff against him, her palms braced on his chest to keep a modicum of distance between them. Her standoffishness sent a wave of hurt through him.

“We have been told our sperm is rife with the parasite,” he explained to her. “If it is in our sperm…”

Danielle jerked away from him. “It is already inside me!” she hissed.

“Not in the way that would make you one of us,” he denied. “That can only happen with Transference, Danielle, and I won’t let that happen if it frightens you like this.”

His lady was rubbing at her right side as though trying to push the parasites from her body. She began to pace, her face as white as a sheet. “I don’t want to be a Reaper,”

she said. “I don’t want that. I don’t!”

“Then you won’t be,” he assured her. He came closer but she backed up, lifting a hand to stave him off. “Danielle, I promise you. You don’t have to worry.”

“You swear?” she asked, her lips trembling.

He put his hand over his heart. “I swear,” he said.

A tear eased down Danielle’s face. “I want children, Ari. I have always wanted children,” she said, her voice breaking. “I want your children.”

“And you can have them,” he said. His heart hurt as if he’d been stabbed there as he looked at her tears. “Milady, I will give you all the sons you want. I just can’t give you daughters.”

She ran a hand under her nose. “You promise me, Ari?” she said. “You promise I will have your child?”

“It is my vow to you, dearling,” he stated, but when her eyes widened again and she became even paler, he thought he would cry himself. “My love, what?”

Danielle was trembling all over. “Will our sons be…?”

Despite her hand denying his coming any closer, he knocked it gently aside and took her into his arms despite her protest. “Danni, no,” he stated firmly. “They will no more be Reapers when they are born than you would be without Transference of the 44

Prime Reaper

parasite and a taking of my blood. That much the Shadowlords told us when Aingeal was with child the first time.”

“I don’t want our sons to be like you!” she sobbed.

Hurt drove deep in Arawn Gehdrin, and for the first time in his life he felt ashamed of what he was. He felt tears prickling behind his eyes but he refused to allow them to fall.

“If that is your wish, Danielle,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut, “then we will leave it up to them to choose. If they wish it when they are of age, then it will be their right to decide. That is not a decision either of us should make for them anyway.”

Somewhat mollified, Danielle finally relaxed in her mate’s arms. Her fingers plucked at his black silk shirt. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said.

“It’s all right,” he said, but when he opened his eyes, there was misery in the amber depths.

“Mayhaps I should have left you alone,” she told him.

Arawn’s nerves were already raw and that statement dragged across them like a rusty rasp. He wrapped his hands around her upper arms and pushed her away from him so he could look down into her face. “Why would you say that?” he asked.

“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be, Arawn. You weren’t looking for a mate. I know that. Maybe I jousted with Fate and—”

“Do you love me?” he cut her off. His gaze held hers.

Danielle stared up at him. “From the moment I saw you, I’ve loved you, Arawn Gehdrin,” she said. “I took one look at you and it felt like a lightning bolt struck me. You were the handsomest man I’d ever seen and you were standing there in the street so tall and so powerful and there was such an edge of danger to you. I felt my heart beating faster just looking at you.” She tilted her head to one side. “And the first time you looked at me, you looked away then your gaze jumped back as though you’d been hit by the same lightning bolt I had. You stared at me for only a moment, but I felt like I was a cup of water and you were dying of thirst. I felt your look all the way to my toes. When you looked away, all the brightness went out of my day.”

Arawn’s gaze narrowed. “I don’t remember that,” he said.

“Moira says men rarely do,” she told him.

“Meddling old woman,” he mumbled.

“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be,
mo shearc
,” she repeated. “If I hadn’t chased after you—”

“I wouldn’t have caught you!” he snapped, shaking her just a little. “By the gods, wench. Do you really think I didn’t want you as much as you wanted me?” He shook his head when she started to interrupt him. “No one could have made me love you, Danielle. No one! I might have fought it—and I’m sure Moira has some sage words about that as well—but I knew what I wanted and I wasn’t about to let you get away with giving Owen cake and me not having any!”